Come celebrate the Dogwood Dell Trails

It’s all over but the riding, running, hiking, bird watching and dog walking. The city trails crew and weekend armies of volunteers have finished two new loops — each about a mile long, one for foot traffic only, the other for fat tires and feet — in the woods behind the Carillon in Dogwood Dell. The best way to access the new trail heads is on Pump House Drive just above the toll for the Nickel Bridge.

The traildozer at work in Dogwood Dell

Many of the volunteers who worked on the new trails were from mountain bike advocacy group Richmond MORE. UPDATE: The cookout was postponed, but trails are open. They’ll be holding a celebration, which is open to the public, this Saturday, March 17th at p.m. They’ve reserved the shelter next to the dog park. There’ll be a cookout and a presentation of the new trails, followed by group rides and hikes on the new singletrack. All are welcome.

But wait, there’s more! Richmond MORE and the trail crew will quickly pivot to the next big project: the Belle Isle Skills Area. Volunteer days for on Belle Isle will start on Saturday, March 31st. They’re planning two big volunteer weekends on May 5-6 and 12-13, so mark your calendars now. The goal is to open by Memorial Day, and they’ll need much hard labor to make that a reality. If you ride, walk or otherwise use the amazing trails of the James River Park System, this is another opportunity to give back.

About Andy Thompson

I was the Outdoors Columnist at the Times-Dispatch from 2007 to 2013, writing twice a week about mountain biking, fishing, hunting, paddling and much more. I live a 1/4 mile from the James River, close enough to see bald eagles soaring over my house on their way to find a meal. Pretty cool, eh?